by Sandra Murphy

We have reviews of 2 food related mysteries this week, and one of them is set at Christmas time-Case of the Bleus by Korina Moss and Death by Peppermint Cappuccino by Alex Erickson. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of both books and links to purchase them from Amazon at the end of each review–you may not see those links if you have adblocker.

Case of the Bleus by Korina Moss
Review by Sandra Murphy

Sonoma Valley is the location of the Northwest Cheese Invitational. Willa Bauer, owner of Curds and Whey cheese shop, is in her element, tasting custom cheeses, reuniting with old friends, and sadly, remembering her mentor who died in a car accident recently. Max is the creator of Church Bleu, a uniquely flavored bleu cheese. His recipe and the location where the cheese is aged are tightly guarded secrets.

Everyone is sure those secrets will be revealed as part of his estate and they’re sure who will inherit the recipe. No one is more surprised than she is when the recipe isn’t revealed. There’s just a clue they’ll have to decipher if they want the recipe.

When the cheesemaker most likely to inherit dies too, Willa knows the killing must stop. She loves cheese as much or more than most people, but to kill for it? She’ll have to figure out the clue to stop the killing but can she do it before another cheese lover is singing the bleus?

This is book four in the series, all reviewed in KRL. Willa owns the cheese shop but couldn’t manage without Mrs. Schultz and Archie, her friends and employees. Both love a good mystery, are fun to be around, and are as much help solving murders as they are in explaining which bleu cheese to choose for a recipe or appetizer. With a mead maker across the street, readers will wish they could camp out in the store for a whole day, maybe two! The descriptions of varieties of cheeses and how best to eat them are scattered throughout the book, never getting in the way of the murder plot. The book is a thoroughly enjoyable tale.

At the back of the book, Mrs. Schultz shares a recipe for a ham and bleu cheese tart, gorgonzola garlic bread, and cool and creamy dolce dip—dolce being gorgonzola bleu cheese.

Death by Peppermint Cappuccino by Alex Erickson
Review by Sandra Murphy

It’s Christmas in Pine Hills, and the mood is festive. Pine Hills bookstore-cafe owner Krissy Hancock has high hopes for this holiday season. Business is going well, and the new signature drink, peppermint cappuccino, is the hot item for the season. Of course, some people are griping that stores are overcharging instead of focusing on the reason for the season. One of the store owners, whose prices are considered much too high, is found dead. Is it a case of greed over need or is there another reason? A mysterious gift-wrapped package must mean something but there’s nothing to point to it being a clue.

Krissy’s father and his girlfriend are in town to visit but the girlfriend complains of not feeling well so the visit isn’t much of a visit yet. Then there’s Rita. Krissy’s dad is a mystery writer and Rita is his biggest fan—and doesn’t hesitate to invite herself to join the family any chance she can get.
Krissy still has shopping and decorating to do, the store to run, and has to prevent her budding romance from suffering from neglect. It seems Paul wants to tell her something, but they are constantly interrupted at the exact wrong moment.

Can Krissy help find the killer before Santa’s arrival?

This is book twelve in the series, many reviewed in KRL. Krissy doesn’t take the risks she used to, which is a good thing. She has a great relationship with her father and his girlfriend and readers will hope to see more of that as well as her own relationship with Paul. A character who has been missing from the last book or so is back and I hope, to stay. Sadly, no recipes included, but the peppermint cappuccino idea would be easy to make and also work well with hot chocolate.

To enter to win a copy of both books, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “food & christmas” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen December 4, 2023. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify. A new episode goes up next week.

Sandra Murphy lives in the shadow of the Arch in St. Louis Missouri. She’s editor for Peace, Love, and Crime: Crime Stories Inspired by the Songs of the ’60s, with twenty-two cozy stories. She also edited A Murder of Crows, twenty-one stories featuring animals and crime (no animals were harmed). She also writes for magazines, newsletters, and the occasional guest blog. Both anthologies are available at the usual outlets, print or ebook.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.